Can Aston Martin Survive in the Electric Vehicle Era?

[AdamV12V]

Well I said very little in this thread so far, as I have very little positive to say about EV's and where I think it leaves AM... I would rather walk to where I have to get to!

That said, today I have found an EV that I actually want, and its only $92,000 at that. Now stick an AM badge on this and I am back in!

[Minglar]

Lol….there you go Adam, they still have three initial slots available…..get your name down!

https://www.jetsonaero.com/

I guess it’s definitely something for the future, perhaps à la Blade Runner, but I’ve read the specs and I can’t see much practical use for it. Maybe stick it in your gas guzzling SUV and take it to the beach for a short leisure flight over the sand?

Seriously though, I’d be interested to know what the CAA would make of it, particularly as you have to finish half of the build at home. Rotorway anyone?

Maybe AM should make them an offer?

PS I’m too much of a lard a**e to fly it!!

Best Regards

Minglar

[Ken Figenus]

Love it Adam - did my drone licence in lockdown but I don't quite fit on top of it with the batteries that last 20 mins with a 920g payload! The power for flying that sort of aircraft with a human weight will be immense. Is it a 4 min fly time maybe? Love it though.

Cheaper EV batteries will come. Sodium Ion batteries are near - dry the seawater and crack on for half the EV cost!

DBS, in answer to your question on my imminent EV, I went for the Taycan CT 4S model with RWS, PDCC (active anti roll - as if it even needed it!) and PTV, in blue! It will be the ULTIMATE cornering dodgem! But it can also ride like an S Class. 40 sleeps... I feel a bit like I did over my Mk1 Escort 1300S aged 18 - yes it is that good... If it wasn't I'd tell it as it is... My charger went in Tuesday and was wired to KILL me - but that's another story...

[AdamV12V]

Ken Figenus said:

Love it Adam - did my drone licence in lockdown but I don't quite fit on top of it with the batteries that last 20 mins with a 920g payload! The power for flying that sort of aircraft with a human weight will be immense. Is it a 4 min fly time maybe? Love it though.

Says on the website it already has a 20min flight time including a pilot of 187lbs, which is a fairly middle weight man of 13st 5lbs in UK terminology.

I suspect the tech will quickly evolve until there is a 2 seater, then a 4 seater or 2 plus luggage options available.

I cant really see what laws it would break right now to fly one given it flys so low. Its basically a hovercraft on steriods, and I dont see why you would need to, or indeed want to fly down UK roads in it when you could take a more direct path over fields and or low buildings. That said Im sure they will invent some legislation pretty quickly as soon as any number of these are seen out and about, although they don,t seem to yet have got their head around those powered EV scooters that youths seem to hoon down the pavement in at like 20mph nearly killing people in my home city. Im sure there must be a plague of them in London by now.

[quench]

Well that's it, then.

Aston need to get their branding on this whirligig ASAP. Much better than submarines, power boats or apartments.

[Agent57]

NMNeil said:

And you pull up in a Cygnet
This is a sign of desperation by management, making a car for the masses in the hope of boosting sales. All that time and money and they only managed to sell less than 150.
https://www.motortrend.com/news/aston-martin-cygne...

Weirdly I passed a Cygnet the other day. They look best is a bold and unusual Aston paint colour.

[Ken Figenus]

AdamV12V said:

Says on the website it already has a 20min flight time including a pilot of 187lbs, which is a fairly middle weight man of 13st 5lbs in UK terminology.

I suspect the tech will quickly evolve until there is a 2 seater, then a 4 seater or 2 plus luggage options available.

I cant really see what laws it would break right now to fly one given it flys so low. Its basically a hovercraft on steriods, and I dont see why you would need to, or indeed want to fly down UK roads in it when you could take a more direct path over fields and or low buildings. That said Im sure they will invent some legislation pretty quickly as soon as any number of these are seen out and about, although they don,t seem to yet have got their head around those powered EV scooters that youths seem to hoon down the pavement in at like 20mph nearly killing people in my home city. Im sure there must be a plague of them in London by now.

Staggering stats there on flight time with a big lump onboard! If a 900gram drone can only manage 25 mins with it being mostly the weight of the Li Po battery I have no idea how they do it! And then try bringing it home into the wind!

Airspace is only properly controlled above 120m but I do worry how you call the AA if you lose a motor - via the funeral director?

[LTP]

Agent57 said:

Weirdly I passed a Cygnet the other day. They look best is a bold and unusual Aston paint colour.

Actually, I think they look best in green, with wheelarch extensions and a V8 Vantage powertrain and driveline shoehorned in.

[Jon39]

quench said:

Well that's it, then.

Aston need to get their branding on this whirligig ASAP. Much better than submarines, power boats or apartments.

You must have blinked!
'The ACH130 Aston Martin Edition is available on request, with deliveries taking place from Q1 2020.'

[ExecutiveAction]

Jon39 said:

What is your opinion about the electric future for AML?

Jon, honestly, this whole thing bothers me. Particularly from an AM perspective. I have put serious capital into a collection of the best ICE cars which I personally want. It’s a gamble. I know from professional experience that this country does of have the generating capacity to guarantee that the lights will stay on this winter, never mind charge 3 million electric cars. I have sat through COP26 in Glasgow. There were 400 plus private jets in central Scotland for that event. JLR supplied a huge fleet of I-Pace vehicles to ferry delegates around. There werent the charging points or the capacity to charge them, so the Government hired a load of diesel generators from Aggreko to charge them. The whole thing is bullst. EV’s will only work for short trips or easy commuting where they can be charged overnight at the home. By the end of 2022 we will have Level 5 Autonomous Vehicles on the road in the UK. For no reason that I can see the future of cars is short range autonomous taxis.

ICE is fundamental to the cars we love. I just cannot see how there will ever be sufficient distinction in an electric motors to make an AM interesting. The weight of the drivetrain will eliminate the handling we expect in a sports car. The range and charging issues make grand touring impossible.

The only thing they can do is focus on rebuilding classics. After all, what real difference can AM make to emissions, if those actually matter? By classics I mean every model in their past and current range. That’s it. There is no electric future for the top end Sports/GT, that I can see. If there is, show it to us. I’m not seeing it, or even the likelihood of it.

[ExecutiveAction]

As for buying an AM helicopter, just why? Brand? If you want a helicopter, you buy a Bell Jetranger. What has AM to do with it? The idea is ludicrous.

[Piston Ted]

ExecutiveAction said:

Jon39 said:

What is your opinion about the electric future for AML?

Jon, honestly, this whole thing bothers me. Particularly from an AM perspective. I have put serious capital into a collection of the best ICE cars which I personally want. It’s a gamble. I know from professional experience that this country does of have the generating capacity to guarantee that the lights will stay on this winter, never mind charge 3 million electric cars. I have sat through COP26 in Glasgow. There were 400 plus private jets in central Scotland for that event. JLR supplied a huge fleet of I-Pace vehicles to ferry delegates around. There werent the charging points or the capacity to charge them, so the Government hired a load of diesel generators from Aggreko to charge them. The whole thing is bullst. EV’s will only work for short trips or easy commuting where they can be charged overnight at the home. By the end of 2022 we will have Level 5 Autonomous Vehicles on the road in the UK. For no reason that I can see the future of cars is short range autonomous taxis.

ICE is fundamental to the cars we love. I just cannot see how there will ever be sufficient distinction in an electric motors to make an AM interesting. The weight of the drivetrain will eliminate the handling we expect in a sports car. The range and charging issues make grand touring impossible.

The only thing they can do is focus on rebuilding classics. After all, what real difference can AM make to emissions, if those actually matter? By classics I mean every model in their past and current range. That’s it. There is no electric future for the top end Sports/GT, that I can see. If there is, show it to us. I’m not seeing it, or even the likelihood of it.

A very interesting post (especially regarding COP26 - the BBC omitted the diesel generators during their coverage for some reason . . . )

My thoughts align with yours 100% glad I’m not alone in not being able to see how this is all going to work out for Aston.

[ExecutiveAction]

And I would also be extremely concerned about the current 'brain drain' from AM. They are losing a lot of good people.

[Finding Neutral]

ExecutiveAction said:

Jon, honestly, this whole thing bothers me. Particularly from an AM perspective. I have put serious capital into a collection of the best ICE cars which I personally want. It’s a gamble. I know from professional experience that this country does of have the generating capacity to guarantee that the lights will stay on this winter, never mind charge 3 million electric cars. I have sat through COP26 in Glasgow. There were 400 plus private jets in central Scotland for that event. JLR supplied a huge fleet of I-Pace vehicles to ferry delegates around. There werent the charging points or the capacity to charge them, so the Government hired a load of diesel generators from Aggreko to charge them. The whole thing is bullst. EV’s will only work for short trips or easy commuting where they can be charged overnight at the home. By the end of 2022 we will have Level 5 Autonomous Vehicles on the road in the UK. For no reason that I can see the future of cars is short range autonomous taxis.

ICE is fundamental to the cars we love. I just cannot see how there will ever be sufficient distinction in an electric motors to make an AM interesting. The weight of the drivetrain will eliminate the handling we expect in a sports car. The range and charging issues make grand touring impossible.

The only thing they can do is focus on rebuilding classics. After all, what real difference can AM make to emissions, if those actually matter? By classics I mean every model in their past and current range. That’s it. There is no electric future for the top end Sports/GT, that I can see. If there is, show it to us. I’m not seeing it, or even the likelihood of it.

Absolutely this.

Well said that man. I’ve a few friends in nuclear energy and myself I am involved in renewables in a round about way. I agree with every word of this.


My background years ago was automotive and even back then the r&d guys didn’t believe the future was electric.. it was being developed due to pressure from the powers that be and grants.

[Jon39]

Finding Neutral said:

Well said that man. I’ve a few friends in nuclear energy and myself I am involved in renewables in a round about way. I agree with every word of this.

My background years ago was automotive and even back then the r&d guys didn’t believe the future was electric.. it was being developed due to pressure from the powers that be and grants.

Of course we never know whether, what we see on the internet is true or not.

I came across this chart.
What do you make of it ?

[Simpo Two]

Jon39 said:

What do you make of it ?

It seems logical. But as demand outstrips supply the price will rise, and that may make it economically viable to explore for and extract other deposits that currently aren't known. The parallel I'm thinking of is oil.

I think in 20 years, maybe even less, the 'EV revolution' will be seen for what it is.

[oilit]

So we have depleted all the east to get at oil (cheap), by 2030 we will have depleted all the easy to get to lithium (cheap), so I guess we will pushed towards hydrogen or some other battery chemistry.

The stakes are too high for the big vehicle vendors to not have something to fill the void ….

I’m betting on big clockwork mechanisms with a ‘low cost employee’ in a big wheel forced to walk like a hamster all night to wind the tensioner spring so you can drive your clockwork car. The further you want to go the bigger the hamster wheel and more ‘employees’ you need.

Edited by oilit on Thursday 9th June 18:12

[Simpo Two]

oilit said:

I’m betting on big clockwork mechanisms with a ‘low cost employee’ in a big wheel forced to walk like a hamster all night to wind the tensioner spring so you can drive your clockwork car. The further you want to go the bigger the hamster wheel and more ‘employees’ you need.

Perfect! The only snag is that you'd either have to pay them, or feed and house them.

Perhaps when all the oil and lithium has run out or got too expensive we'll be carried around in sedan chairs. 'Mush'!

[DB9VolanteDriver]

Jon39 said:

Of course we never know whether, what we see on the internet is true or not.

I came across this chart.
What do you make of it ?

It means invest heavily in Lithium at all phases of extraction, production, and usage. I have via a Lithium sector fund.

[NMNeil]

oilit said:

So we have depleted all the east to get at oil (cheap), by 2030 we will have depleted all the easy to get to lithium (cheap), so I guess we will pushed towards hydrogen or some other battery chemistry.

The stakes are too high for the big vehicle vendors to not have something to fill the void ….

I’m betting on big clockwork mechanisms with a ‘low cost employee’ in a big wheel forced to walk like a hamster all night to wind the tensioner spring so you can drive your clockwork car. The further you want to go the bigger the hamster wheel and more ‘employees’ you need.

Edited by oilit on Thursday 9th June 18:12

The biggest battery maker in the world; CATL is making sodium based batteries for Tesla.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-29...